SOLOMON HUGHES recommends Sunjeev Sahota’s recent novel set in a trade union election campaign for its fresh approach to what unites and divides workers, but wishes the union backdrop was truer to life
I ALWAYS think Tree Spinach is a slightly off-putting common name for what is known botanically as Chenopodium giganteum. The mental image of a spinach plant the size of a tree really doesn't capture the essence of a quite delicate looking annual, with foliage in bright and almost playful green and magenta.
Admittedly, it can grow pretty tall — between 3 and 6 feet (1-2m) — though it is easily kept below that by removing the growing tip.
The “spinach” part of the name tells you that it has edible leaves, the word spinach being in this context a general rather than specific term. The older leaves can indeed be used as cooked greens; they’re OK, nothing special.
MAT COWARD takes a look at some of the options for keen gardeners as we enter 2026
MAT COWARD sings the praises of the Giant Winter’s full-depth, earthy and ferrous flavour perfect for rich meals in the dark months
MAT COWARD presents a peculiar cabbage that will only do its bodybuilding once the summer dies down
MAT COWARD rises over such semantics to offer step by step, fool-proof cultivating tips



